Drowning in Love and Memories
by singingintherain9328
Summary: There once was a mermaid who wanted nothing more to be human and live on land. She made a deal with a sea witch for legs and the rest is history, right? Not quite. AU. Ariel/Hook
1. Prologue

He leaned against the railing, looking out into the ocean. He watched as the light from the moon would show bits and pieces of the ocean, revealing it's true greenish blue color, not black from the night. He loved the sea at this time; the crew had gone to sleep and all that could be heard was the waves of the ocean crashing against his ship. He was alone, free to think whatever he wanted to and not have to answer any questions. Killian looked down at what had replaced his hand, scowling. He would get his revenge, he wouldn't rest until he did. It didn't matter that that demon was immortal, he would find a way. If magic could give him those powers, magic could destroy him. He just had to find it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. It wasn't one of the crew; this voice was clearly female and there were no females on this ship-and there wouldn't be anymore. It wasn't coming from the ship but nearby- from the sea. He walked across the deck, the voice getting louder and clearer as he got closer to the rail.

"_My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold, there is nothing that can console my, but my jolly sailor bold."_

It was an old song that sailors would sing. Legend had it that if you wanted to try and capture the attention of a mermaid nearby, one just had to sing the song. The voice was hauntingly beautiful-he had never heard such a voice. It didn't sound human- and he had an inkling that it wasn't.

He leaned over the railing to get a better view of the source of the voice. He was right-it wasn't human. On a rock sat a little mermaid, fiddling with some object and singing. Mermaids were a rare sight to see- many stayed away from the surface. Those who did come up, and were in plain sight as this one was- were dangerous. Killian had heard many tales of ships being sunk or sailors drowning due to a beautiful siren, they were deadly and memorizing, like staring into the sun for too long, in the end you ended up burned. But this one- something was different about her. Despite being out in plain sight for all to see, there was nothing malicious or dangerous about her, she didn't seem to even notice him. She looked up from what was in her hand and looked up at the stars, the moonlight illuminating her long red hair and striking face.

He guessed later that it didn't matter whether the mermaid intended to drown him or not, for the next thing he knew he was quietly getting into a boat and rowing towards her. Part of him was truly intrigued by her, another part was in for the thrill of discovering something new. In all his many years of pirating, he had never seen a mermaid so close. It had been only glimpses of a tail that was diving back into the ocean, never to come back up to the surface again.

He finally got to a point where he could get a closer look of her but she didn't notice his presence. She was breathtakingly beautiful; he had heard that some of the most beautiful women in this land were mermaids. He had a hard time believing that but now he could understand why some men would think that.

Everything was going well until he decided to place the oars in the boat. The damn hook banged against the boat, making noise. The mermaid was startled and looked in the direction of the noise. Her eyes widen when she saw the pirate. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. He raised his good hand out to her, as if to silently tell her that it was okay. She gasped and dove back into the water.

That should have been the sign for him to row back to his ship. He should have been content with having seen a mermaid that close. But with Killian, he was never content with experiencing something only half-way. He wanted to experience it to the fullest, and he intended to do so with this fish.

"_Come all you pretty fair maids, whoever you may be." _He started. He looked into the ocean, searching for a sign, the moonlight only allowing him to see glimpses of the ocean. A flash of green scales caught his eyes and he smirked. Perhaps the legend was right.

"_Who love a jolly sailor bold that ploughs the raging sea,_" He sung, hearing the sound of the waves moving, someone swimming about near the boat. He looked over to see her head above the water, staring at him. It was easy to tell she was scared, but she was just as intrigued by him as he was by her. He wasn't the only one who was interacting with something entirely new tonight.

He smiled at her, hoping he could lure her towards him. She didn't move, not that he couldn't blame her.

"_My heart is pierced by cupid, I disdain all glittering gold_," He sung to her, and she swam closer, looking hypnotized. A small smile crept across her face, growing bigger as he continued to sing the song.

"_There is nothing that can console me, but my jolly sailor bold_," She joined in the song, leaning against the boat.

"Hello there," He smiled, immensely proud of himself for capturing her attention. She didn't respond for a minute, she kept looking at him up and down, taking him in, making sure she didn't meet a single detail.

"Something tells me this is new territory for you darling, isn't it?" He asked, initially feeling a little sad that she was not picking up that he was flirting with her. He then pushed the thought immediately out of his mind. Why should it bother him that she wasn't flirting back? She was a fish, for Christ's sake.

"You're a pirate, aren't you?" There wasn't any disgust or fear in her sweet voice, in fact, she sound rather excited to have encountered him.

"Captain Hook, at your service," He grinned, extending his hand for her to shake it.

She laughed. For someone who had seemed so terrified when she first saw him, she seemed so at ease right now. He wondered if she had been around more humans than she had let on.

"I'm sorry but," She paused, taking him in; she was so fascinated by his presence, "is that really your name?"

"You don't believe me?" He asked, amazed by her boldness.

"Well, maybe you humans have...particular names. I wouldn't know," She explained.

"Then may I ask for your name?" It didn't make any sense as to why he was asking for permission. He didn't need to ask for permission, he shouldn't.

"Ariel," She replied, pushing a strand of her red hair out of her face.

"Well Ariel, you're very brave for laughing at a pirate. A captain, no less," His voice having just a hint of teasing. He wanted to see her reaction, see if any fear would flicker in her eyes, like he had thought at first.

"Well, Captain _Hook_, you're braver. Talking to a mermaid. Haven't you heard the stories?" She replied, teasing him.

"Humans can be very dangerous creatures too."

"I could tip this boat over, take you back to my kingdom and have you sacrificed to my father King Triton."

She had shocked him, perhaps even scared him a bit. She immediately noticed and leaned forward, letting out a nervous laugh, "I'm kidding! My father wants nothing to do with humans or this land," She explained, her voice softening, looking back out to the sea.

"So what brings you up here?" He asked.

She looked back, smiling, "I'm not like him. I love this world. It's so fascinating and there's so much I want to know."

"Well, if you have any questions, I, Killian Jones, will be more than happy to answer." He needed a distraction, that's what she was. Nothing more, he kept telling himself.

Which was why for who knows how long, she asked him all kinds of questions and he answered them. She asked about his world, how things worked, what it was like. She listened closely to everything he told, hanging on to every word, fascinated.

Her concentration broke when she noticed that the sky was beginning to change from black to blue. Her eyes widen and a worried look came over his face.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"It's...it's day time now, isn't it?" She asked, looking around.

"About to be," He replied, looking up to sky as it changed colors.

"Shit." He heard her mutter. It was a rather funny hearing such a word being said in her sweet voice. She looked around, looking her someone, muttering as she did so. She then swim back to the rock where he had found her, grabbing something.

"Where are you going?" He yelled. Not that it mattered to him if she left. He was just curious to see why she was in such a fuss. He was curious, not caring.

"I have to leave, my father will start waking up soon and if he sees that I'm gone...he'll be very angry. He's already caught me from visiting the surface already this month," She rambled, grabbing what looked like a satchel. He should be heading back to his ship and get the crew ready for another day of traveling to Neverland. He began to row back when she called out,

"Wait!"

He stopped and looked up to see her leaning against the rock with a hopeful smile on her face. "Will I see you again?" She asked.

"Maybe," He didn't know why he even told her that. He doubt he would see her again. But something in him couldn't break that smile.

Her smile got bigger (something that he thought was impossible) and then dove back into the water.

He sat there, trying to process what just happened. He had heard many stories about mermaids, but none of them resembled the one he had just met. This one was like nothing he had ever heard of.

Killian got back on the ship, trying to push out thoughts of the little mermaid. He was never going to see her again and had way more important things to focus on. Like getting to Neverland. Getting revenge on that demon Rumplestiltskin. He didn't have time for her and wouldn't. So thinking of her was pointless.

Meanwhile, the redhead was deep into the sea, back at her home. Not that she call it that. This place never truly felt like her home. When she was up there, on the surface, that's where she felt at home, she didn't feel like she belonged. She didn't care what the others said. She was going to find a way to be apart of that world. She closed her eyes, thinking about the piercing blue eyes she had seen earlier as she began to fall asleep.


	2. No more dreaming

**A/N: Just letting you know that I'm going off of the original Little Mermaid story. Just wanted yall to know so you wouldn't be confused with this chapter. Also thanks for the feedback! Here's chapter one!**

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She stood behind a wall, listening to their conversation. _Please don't say __it__, please, please, please don't say it_, she begged in her mind over and over again.

"I am so glad that this was able to work out. I have a feeling this marriage will bring nothing but joy and success for both you two and the kingdoms! Well, I guess I should say now kingdom since the two will combine!" She heard Eric's adviser exclaim.

Marriage. The word pierced her heart. She sunk down and opened her mouth, but no words came out. She should have known better. She was a princess too- when someone from another royal court that was your age and unwed came to visit the kingdom, they weren't coming to take a tour. They came for one thing and one thing only: marriage. An alarm should have gone off in her head when that princess, came by yesterday, but she had cling on to the hope that the prince would look past the princess and want to marry her. She knew it was a long shot, and she knew that it wasn't certain how the prince felt about her. But she still hoped and prayed every day that before the fifth day she had on this land, he would marry her.

But he didn't. He would marry this princess, and continue to live his life. She, on the other hand, would have to go back to her prison. No, it would be hell now. Because she wouldn't go back to her family. She would have to go back with Ursula and be her slave, give up her soul and do who knows what.

Ariel felt something wet on her face. She was crying. She had heard about this- it was something humans did. She didn't like it but she couldn't stop the tears from running down her face. She brought her legs to her chest and held her self, wishing she could just scream, say anything, do _something_. But she couldn't. The sea witch had her voice- it was what she had given her in exchange for these legs.

After crying for quite some time, she realized that the conversation she had been listening to was over. She didn't know where they were- nor did she want to face them. She did not want to cry in front of them. She wanted to leave this place, face her fate now and get it over with.

She walked back into the room he had let her stay in. She had loved it because it had a view of the sea. Now, she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand this place or this land. But she didn't want to go back to the sea either. She was trapped-there was no middle ground, no haven she could go to now. And if she tried to run away, the sea witch would find her. She couldn't run away from her problems like she had before. She had to face them now.

She grabbed a few things to take with her. Whether she would need them, she did not know. She took off the black flats he had given her- they were far too small for her feet and uncomfortable- how could humans walks around in them all day? Ariel struggled, but was able to get rid of the corset she had on (another stupid uncomfortable and unnecessary thing humans insisted upon), happy that she could breath easier. She was ready now.

As she walked down the halls, she took in what she thought was going to be her new home one last time. Looking back now, part of her was glad she wouldn't be living here. The castle was gloomy, there was no color, all the servants looked down as they walked through the halls and never smiled. As hard as she tried, she couldn't imagine herself living here. But then again, anything would be better than being a slave to the sea witch.

She managed to sneak past the guards and made her way towards the beach, ignoring the tears streaming down her face. Ariel stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Ursula, leaning against a rock, smiling. She knew, of course she knew. Ariel wiped away her tears, not wanting her to see them. She wanted to face her fate with dignity and maturity, even if on the inside she was breaking.

"It's so good to see you again child," She said, her voice mockingly sweet. Ariel just looked at her with as much defiance she could muster. It was all she could do. Ursula still had her voice- which was inside the necklace she was wearing right now. Oh how she wanted that necklace, wanted to snatch it from her, but she knew it would only cause more trouble. Ursula was more powerful than her.

"I know it's so heartbreaking, watching your prince marry another," She said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Ariel brushed it off, so tempted to just run away.

"And normally I would let our contract stand and take you back, but," She circled around Ariel, her tentacles moving with her, "I have thought of another deal."

She looked at Ariel, smiling that same grin she had when she convinced her to sign the contract that gave her legs. Only this time, Ariel wasn't jumping to sign this new deal. She was now wary of her, realizing why those had warned her to stay away from the sea witch all those years.

"Now I know what you're thinking and I promise that for this deal, you do not have to give up anything of yours. In fact, think of it more as us doing a favor for one another." She was surprise by Ariel's defiance. She didn't see the naïve, uncertain girl she had met a few days ago. Heartbreak seemed to have harden her. But she knew she could sway her- she hadn't gotten to explaining what the deal was.

"Now child, I know you don't want to return to the sea. Usually, I would say 'oh well!' and keep our end of the bargain. However, as I mentioned earlier, I have changed my ways. Also since you're my niece I feel that if I don't help you, it would just be so... wrong of me. So that's why I'm bringing this up. You see, this deal will allow you to remain a human. Forever." The mention of staying human sparked something in her. There was a flicker in Ariel's green eyes; she was interested. She looked at her, waiting for her to explain.

"All you have to do," Ursula snapped and a knife appeared in her hand, startling the redhead, "is tonight, when the prince is fast asleep, go into his room and kill him. This knife has magic in it, and by letting the blood from the knife touch your feet, the magic will allow you to remain a human. Forever. All you have to do after that is give me back the knife as it is and then we can go on our separate ways. You'll owe me nothing," Ariel pointed to the locket she was wearing, "Ah yes your voice! You'll get that back as well when you bring me back the knife. Remember: bring it back as it is."

She handed the knife to Ariel, who reluctantly took it. She looked at the knife, running her fingers up and down, careful not to hurt herself. It wasn't too heavy, but the tip was sharp. Very sharp.

"Well?" She asked, waiting for a response, "Do we have ourselves a deal?"

Ariel looked at the knife and then back at Ursula. Her golden eyes were glowing with excitement, her tentacles curling.

She shook her head and threw the knife on the ground. She wasn't going to sink to her level, wasn't going to become some monster. She mouthed the word "_no_", knowing full well that she would understand.

"Well then," She said, the grin disappearing and a menacing look taking over her face, "I guess it's off to the sea for us!"

The tentacles began to wrap around Ariel, dragging her to the sea. She open her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

"Am I interrupting something?" A new voice spoke. They both turned to see a woman standing there. The sea witch gasped and let go of Ariel. The woman was like nothing she had ever seen before-she had to be from another kingdom. She had a long black cape over her dark purple dress. She had what could only be described as a wicked grin on her face as she walked over to the two.

"Regina, what brings you here?" Ursula asked, unnerved by this woman's presence.

"Well, you never responded to my message about meeting. So I thought I'd paid you a visit," She said, sitting down on a rock and crossing her legs. She was so regal, Ariel couldn't help but be fascinated by this woman.

"Luckily, I don't have to go through the trouble of getting you up to the surface," Regina said, looking at Ariel. Ariel looked away, not liking the attention.

"What do you want?" Ursula demanded, walking towards Regina.

"Oh you know exactly what I want Ursula. It's just a matter of you giving it to me."

"I'm not trading you this curse. Nothing you can offer will make me give it to you," Ursula said through her teeth.

Regina simply smiled and leaned forward, "Then I guess I'll have to take it myself. That's no problem."

There was a blast and Ariel hid behind one of the rocks. She peered out to see what was a huge rock now smashed to pieces.

Ursula was throwing what Ariel could only describe as beams at Regina. She deflected them, pushing it aside as if they were nothing. She was fascinated- she knew her father could do magic but the only time she and her sisters ever saw him use it was when he would control the seas. She was surprised by how Ursula used magic as if it was...normal. Magic had always captivated her- so it was no surprise that she found herself watching this fight, instead of running away.

Regina raised her hand, and a huge rock rose from the ground. She flung it towards Ursula, who smashed it, but held the pieces in the air. She flung the debris in Regina's direction, who created a shield to protect her.

Regina drew her arm back, ready to cast another spell. But Ursula was quicker this time, knocking her to the ground and binding her so she couldn't move. She grinned, moving closer to Regina. Ariel moved out from behind the rock and opened her mouth to scream and threw her hand up in the air.

A force knocked Ursula to ground. It looked like light blue dust, different from the purple that was Regina and the green that was Ursula. There was no way Regina could have cast it, as she was still bounded up at the time. Ursula picked herself up, her attention now to Ariel, who was looking at her hand, scared.

"Well, isn't this exciting?" Ursula exclaimed, moving towards Ariel, grabbing her hand, "Not only did I get a daughter of Triton, I got the chosen one."

Ursula cast some sort of spell, the green haze heading towards Ariel. Ariel threw her arms in front of her, as if to protect herself and the haze went everywhere but towards her. She had done it again. Ursula picked herself back up, determined to get to Ariel. She lunged forward, but then froze, finding herself unable to move. Ariel looked past the sea witch and saw that Regina had frozen her. It wasn't until Ariel heard the gasps that she realized Regina was also choking Ursula.

"Give me the curse," She gritted through her teeth. There was no playfulness in her. Her glare terrified Ariel.

"Alright!" Ursula choked out. Regina smiled and let her go. Ursula regained her composure, trying to maintain some dignity. Out of the air, she pulled out a vile that had a glowing purple substance in it. Regina snatched it and examined the vile, a grin slowly appearing on her face.

"I'm so happy we were able to reach an agreement," Regina said, clutching onto the vile.

Ursula rolled her eyes, "Now that you're satisfied, I have other business to attend to." And with that, she turned around, her attention back to Ariel. Ariel took several steps back, but then stopped. It was inevitable; she was going to become a slave to this...monster. She got herself into this, and this other woman clearly wasn't interested in helping her. She closed her eyes and extended her arm out, ready for Ursula to take her back to the ocean, ready to feel a tentacle grab her.

She waited for what felt like an eternity, ready. But it never happened. It wasn't until she heard the mangled-like noises that she opened her eyes. Regina had binded Ursula, making the witch unable to move. That didn't stop the sea witch from trying to break the spell. To Ariel's amazement, she couldn't.

"I gave you the curse, what more do you want?" Ursula demanded.

"Oh Ursula, when will you learn? If truly want to be powerful, you can't let your enemies walk away," She paused, "You have to destroy them."

Both Ursula and Ariel's eyes widen and Ariel got down on the ground as a way to protect herself. Although her father had tried to shield his daughters from it, she had sneaked around and managed to see an execution . The magic would go only in the direction of the one being killed; she was safe on the ground.

She heard screaming and a loud crash. She opened her eyes and saw that nothing remained of the sea witch but only the now tattered fabric of the dress she wore and the locket.

_The locket. _

Regina was already walking away, her back facing Ariel. Her work was done. Quickly, Ariel got up and ran towards the locket. She picked it up; it was still glowing with magic. If she listened closely, she could faintly hear her voice, singing the melody the witch asked her to sing when she cast the spell.

"You!"

Ariel froze and looked up. Regina was quickly moving towards her. She clutched to the locket and started running away, but Regina was able to catch her and use the same binding curse she had used on Ursula, causing her to hang a few feet in the air. In the midst of casting the spell, Ariel had dropped the locket.

"While that sea witch isn't as powerful as she liked to think, the fact you were able to deflect one of her spells is...impressive." It sounded as if this woman had binded Ariel to compliment her. But Ariel knew that was something else this woman wanted. She struggled to move, but couldn't.

"Who are you? And who taught you such magic?" Ariel open her mouth and shook her head, hoping she would realize that she was unable to talk.

"Answer me!" Regina demanded, not catching on. Just when she had escaped one witch, she had ran into another. Regina watched as Ariel struggled to break free from the spell's grip.

But to both their amazement, she did. She landed on the ground, her hand a few inches away from the locket. Regina was taken back by the girl's power, stepping back.

Ariel looked up at her, trying to give a glare (but she had never been known to be intimidating so she knew the look most likely did very little to this woman). The locket caught her attention and Ariel grabbed it, holding it.

"What are you?" Regina demanded again.

Ariel curled her hand into a fist, crushing the locket. Tears began to well up in her eyes due to the pain and she opened her mouth, silently screaming. It wasn't until the necklace has been completely crushed that a sound came out of mouth, a cry of pain.

As soon as the sound came out, she closed her mouth and let go of the remains of the necklace.

"Care to explain yourself _now_?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow. Ariel stood up and pushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

"My name is Ariel. At one point, I was a mermaid. I made a deal with the sea witch; she gave me legs in exchange for my voice-"

"All for some prince?" Regina interrupted. Ariel raised an eyebrow, curious as to how she knew.

"I overheard her talking about him. But that still doesn't explain your abilities."

"My father is Triton. King of the sea. In my land, the crown is not passed to the first born. Instead, the heir is chosen at random. The heir will receive the ability to do magic and that's how you know they've been chosen," Ariel explained. She didn't know why she was telling her all this. What did it matter to her?

"And you've been chosen?" Ariel nodded her head, "Try not to get too excited about it," Regina rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand!" Ariel raised her voice, "To you, magic means power. To me, it means nothing but a prison. If my family had known the truth, that I was the heir, they would make sure I would never leave the palace. I would have to stay in one place for the rest of my life, marry someone I didn't love. Magic is what turned my aunt into the sea witch you know her as, and it's what destroyed my father, though he'll never admit it!" Ariel felt her knees begin to give out, so she sat down on the sand, bringing her knees to her chest, looking out to the sea.

After a few moments of silence, Regina spoke, "Magic can mean freedom if you choose to let it mean that. You don't have to go back there. You can stay here and learn to control it. Once you control it, you'll be free."

Ariel rolled her eyes, "And how will I do that? I have nowhere to stay and no one to teach me."

"I can teach you."

Ariel looked up to see that Regina was serious. She burrowed her brow, confused by this woman's sudden kindness.

"Why would you want to help me?" She asked.

"Because," Regina paused, "You remind me of myself. Well, my younger self. I also see great potential in you."

Ariel stood up and walked over to Regina. She stared at the woman, trying to figure her out. Her expression was softer, much more vulnerable now. Something in this woman was broken, she could sense it. But how, she didn't know. What she did know was that this woman was offering her help, a place to stay. Regina grabbed her hand, the one she had used to crush the necklace. She didn't even realize until now that it had been bleeding. Regina waved her own hand over it, and in a blink of an eye the blood and wound was gone. It looked as if nothing had ever happened.

"How did you do that?" Ariel asked, amazed.

"When you know magic, you can do just about anything," She told her. Ariel looked up at her, her words echoing in her ears.

_Once you can control it, you'll be free. _

_Free. _

"When do I start learning?" Ariel asked. Regina laughed.

"Tomorrow. First, we have to get back to my kingdom." So she was a queen.

As she followed Regina, Ariel realized she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She took one last look at the sea and prayed that it was for the best.

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**Well, hoped you liked it! Don't forget to review! **


	3. Old friend

**A/N: Special thanks to Silvia who helped me out with this chapter! Also thank you for the feedback and hope you guys enjoy this! Don't forget to review!**

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"You know this is my least favorite type of magic," Ariel told her as she looked at the horse she was controlling.

"It may be your least favorite, but it is the most useful," Regina responded.

"How can it be useful? It destroys."

"It protects. If you know how to properly use it, no one can ever harm you."

Regina gave an Ariel a look, silently telling her to go on. Ariel took a deep breath and reached out for the horse.

"I'm not going to hurt it, am I?" Ariel asked again. Regina fought back rolling her eyes, shaking her head.

"Only if you intend to hurt will harm come," She explained. There were times where she wanted Ariel to just do what she told her to do without complaining or doubting. Then she remembered what happened to her when she learned magic and what it did to her. So she would bite her tongue and let the redhead go at her own pace.

Ariel took another breath and reached out, taking its heart. She held it in her hand, amazed at how it was still beating, still had life.

"Now, control it," Regina encouraged.

Ariel looked at the horse, feeling sorry that it was subject to her training. However, when Regina offered one her guards to be used for training, Ariel immediately went with the horse. The horse lifted its two front legs up in the air, going where she wanted it to go. Her commands were small, but it was a start. At least today she was controlling it. The other day she couldn't even take the heart out.

"That's enough for today," Regina said, sensing she was done. Ariel carefully put the heart back inside the horse and the animal returned to normal. She then caught up with Regina who was walking back towards the castle.

"I don't understand why you're teaching me a form of magic that I don't want to use."

"You have to learn all forms of magic, even the kind you dislike. Once you master all forms, then you'll have true power," Regina explained.

"I don't want power. I want freedom," Ariel reminded her.

"Power and freedom are more or less than the same thing. When you have one, you essentially have the other."

Ariel remained quiet. There was plenty more she wanted to say to the Queen. How she wanted freedom. How she wanted adventure. She was more than grateful for what Regina had done to her in the past year. Offer her a home, teach her not only magic but not to be afraid of it. She was now a lady-in-waiting to Regina, staying in the palace as she taught her.

But as the year had progressed, Regina cut herself off more and more. Ariel knew why the Queen had hardened. Soon after her arrival, one night Ariel explained to her about the prince. In return, Regina had told her about a boy named Daniel and her mother. While Ariel did not necessarily agree with all of Regina's actions, she could understand what had lead her to making it. But each day, she became more focused on getting her 'revenge'- whatever that was. Though she knew what had happened to her before she became the Queen, Ariel was not told much about what happened in Regina's life after she had become the Queen. She knew there was something about her stepdaughter- what was her name? Rain? Something like that. The stepdaughter had ran away before Ariel had met Regina. Regina was certain she was still alive- why it mattered to her, she did not know. She knew why Regina disliked the girl, but Ariel thought that now she was gone, Regina would move on. She was wrong.

Just then, one of the Queen's guard approached the two. Out of all those in Regina's court, this one was Ariel's favorite. He always nice to her and would tell her stories when he had the time. Around Regina he was emotionless, always following her orders and never questioning. But with Ariel, she saw there was still a person there, even though he didn't believe her. He didn't have a name, for he explained that he had never been given one. Ariel thought that was silly, so she decided to give him a name.

Graham.

"Your highness," He said, bowing to Regina, "I've come to inform you that he's been caught. He should be arriving soon."

Regina grinned, "Excellent. I'll get ready for our...guest." And with that she walked away, leaving the two. She knew of their friendship, but was not threatened by it.

"We're having a guest?" Ariel asked, curious.

"Prisoner," He corrected.

"What did he do?" She asked as she began walking, knowing he would follow. He did.

"Has the Queen not told you?"

"She doesn't tell me anything anymore," Ariel responded, letting the anger show.

He focused on the question she had asked, not wanting to get into whatever was going on between them, "Well, he was entering Wonderland. Which wasn't what made her curious. What did make her interested, what that he was interacting with the Queen of Hearts-"

"Her mother." He nodded his head. She had heard about Cora- she reminded Ariel of Ursula-only worse. Regina told her that she had pushed Cora into Wonderland and once there, she had made herself the Queen of Hearts- such a fitting title for that woman.

"How do you know it affects her?"

"Well first of all, why would a pirate go to Wonderland and interact with the Queen of Hearts? Then-"

"He's a what?" She asked, her heart stopping for a moment when he said that word.

"He's a pirate. And apparently a very famous one as well. He's incredibly hard to find, some say he goes back and forth between our world and another."

"Do you know his name? The pirate's name?" She knew the chances were small, but she had to know.

"Strange name if you ask me. Calls himself Hook."

Her heart dropped and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Ariel, are you alright?" He asked, noticing the sudden change in her behavior.

"I'm...I'm fine," She said, playing it off, "I have to go now. Thank you for your time."

She disappeared before he could say any more and landed in a hallway of the castle. She almost lost balance, still getting use to that spell. After regaining her balance she walked towards the end of the hallway, coming to a wall. After making sure no one else was there, Ariel waved her hand and the wall began to turn, leading a pathway.

She should have not cared as much as she did. After all, she had only met this man once and that was almost three years ago. But he was the first human she had ever interacted with. And ironically (him being a pirate after all) he proved that not all humans were as awful as her father had told her. She cared about what happened to him.

She found the small vent at the end of the hall. She looked through it, seeing the throne room. She could only see the back of the throne, which worked in her favor as it meant Regina would not be able to see her. The doors of the throne room opened and Regina walked in with several guards.

She sat down on her throne and ordered, "Bring him in!"

Two guards came in, one on each side of him, pushing him forward. His hands were chained together and Ariel noticed that his hook was missing. They must have taken it. He was still just as handsome as she had remembered. It didn't look like he aged at all. Once facing the throne, the guards pushed him down to his knees. He had a defiant look on his face, as if he was not scared of the Queen at all.

"Captain Hook, how nice it is to meet you," Regina spoke, grinning. Killian continued to glare at her, not saying a thing.

"You know why you're here, so I'll just skip to what I want to know: what is your business with the Queen of Hearts?" She asked.

"Why is it of such importance to you?" He asked.

"Her business tends to affect me," Regina explained.

"Well, I hate to break it to you darling, but this time, it doesn't," He replied.

Ariel rolled her eyes. What Killian was doing wasn't helping him at all. She wished she could walk in and defend him, but she knew Regina wouldn't listen to her. She was also curious to see what he had done to make Regina arrest him. From what Graham had told her, doing business with the Queen of Hearts didn't sound like something that would get one arrested. There had to be more to the story.

Regina got up from her throne and walked to him. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her into her eyes.

"Where. Is. He?" She demanded.

"Wonderland." Killian responded. Regina let go and looked away. She then looked back. Ariel didn't have to see in order to know the way Regina was looking at him. That look that screamed 'I'm going to destroy you'.

"Take him away! Lock him up!" She all but screamed. Ariel watched as they dragged him away, taking him to the dungeon. She sunk down to the ground, trying to think of something that could save him. It wasn't helpful that she didn't know what he had done. She could find out though...Would he even recognize her? It had been almost three years, she was sixteen at the time. Now she was almost nineteen.

Well, it was worth a try.

After dinner, she found Graham. He was the only one she trusted; he wouldn't tell Regina about this.

"I want to see the prisoner," She revealed, cornering him so he couldn't escape.

"Why would you want to see him?" He asked, not believing what he was hearing from the small redhead.

She paused and looked around before explaining, "I know him...from my past. I would like to speak to him, alone."

"He's dangerous."

"I can handle him. And if for some reason I can't, I'll yell out so you'll know. Take me to him," She ordered, her voice rising. He stepped back, amazed by her demand.

"What?" Ariel asked, noticing his reaction.

"You sound more and more like the Queen every day." She frowned. She and Regina may have a similar past, but she knew she was not like her. She always told herself that. And she did not like it when others told her this.

"I'm not like her and I never will be," She said through her teeth, "Now are you going to show me where he is or do I have to find out myself?"

The prison was cold and damp. It reminded him of the sea during the winter, only minus the sound of the waves and the smell of sea salt. Being in the prison didn't worry him. He would find a way out. What worried him was the amount of time he had to figure out an escape plan. The Queen could keep him as her prisoner for the rest of his life- or kill him tomorrow morning.

He heard a door opened and looked to see one of the Queen's guards walking in. A figured followed him inside the room. He couldn't tell who it was, as they were covered by a long black cloak.

"If he tries anything, just shout and we'll take care of him," The guard said to the figure, who nodded their head in response.

The guard unlocked the door to his cell, and gave him a warning look as the figured walked in. Upon a closer look, he realized it was a female, seeing a light blue dress peek out of the cloak. A shadow was cast upon their face, making him unable to see her. The cell door closed and the guard walked out of the room, leaving the two alone. He couldn't walk over to the figure, as the guards had chained him. He sat there as she looked down at him.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He asked, no kindness in his voice.

"What were you doing with the Queen of Hearts?" The figured asked, her voice firm and strong. She was young- how young, he could not tell.

"I'm not answering any questions until you tell me who you are," He responded. The figure stepped into the light and he could see strands of red hair from the hood. She took off the hood, revealing her face and smiled at him.

He stared at her for a while before recognition sunk in. It wasn't just the legs that threw him off. Her red hair had been cut, now a bit past her shoulders. Her features had matured, and she didn't have that naive, scared look on her face she had when she first met him. She was brimming with confidence now. Yet, her green eyes were still glowing with excitement, like they had when she first spoke to him that night. He guessed that some things never change.

"Ariel..."He whispered softly.

"I have to give it to you, I really didn't think that name would have caught on. But it did," She admitted.

"What are you doing up here?" He had so many questions, but that was the one he wanted to know first.

"I'm one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting-"

"No. How did you get," He gestured towards her, "_Those."_

Ariel looked down, realizing he was talking about her legs. She smiled, wiggling her toes. After almost three years, she still finds herself at times in complete awe of what had replaced her tail.

"I was able to get them in exchange...well it's rather a long story. What's more important is the story that explains how you got here," She said, motioning to the cell.

"Did the Queen send you down here?" He asked, suspicious.

"She doesn't even know I'm here," Ariel revealed.

"So why did you come down here?" She was acting as if they had been long-time friends, not two people who met and conversed for one night that took place almost three years ago. She was just as strange as he had remembered.

"I was curious and I want to help," She admitted, "You keep avoiding the subject."

"Ever heard the phrase, curiosity killed the cat? Or in this case...fish."

She burrowed her brow in confusion, the phrase lost on her, "What does a cat or fish have to do with this? If you want me to help you, you need to tell me what you did!"

He was impressed by her determination. She straighten her posture and crossed her arms, trying to look like the authoritative figure out of the two. He chuckled at her attempt, also still laughing from how she didn't understand the phrase.

"Fine, if you have to know so badly," He paused, still amazed by how much she had grown in a few years, "I've been searching for a potion or spell that can turn any creature mortal. It's hard to find, since there are a lot of people who want to keep it secret."

"But the Queen of Hearts has it?"

"Had it," He corrected, smiling at himself, "It was a fairly simple deal. I had to kidnap her husband who lives here in the castle and in exchange she gave me the recipe for the potion. However, as I was making my way out of Wonderland, I was caught by some guards and a man in a rather strange hat."

"You kidnapped Henry?" She said, her eyes widen. Everything made so much sense now. While Regina's emotions and motives weren't always clear, what was clear was her love for her father.

"If she has a way to Wonderland she'll find him. Queen didn't do the best job of hiding him if you ask me," He admitted, shrugging.

"Do you think you'll be able to escape?" She asked.

He laughed, "It's not a matter of thinking. I know I'll escape. I just need to find a way, which, I will."

Ariel stared at him, her mind racing. If he did escape, he would go back to ship and travel who knows where? Somewhere with adventure, somewhere with freedom. He could be the key.

"When do you escape, where will you go?" She asked, walking over to him.

"Back to Neverland. I have a potion to make and let's just say it requires not your average ingredients," He told her, not revealing too much of his plan. Even if she said she wasn't going to tell the Queen, that didn't mean that others listening would do the same.

"What if I knew of a way for you to escape?" She suggested, her eyes glowing with excitement over her plan.

"And it's fool-proof?"

"I've lived here for almost a year. I know every nook and cranny, every secret hallway and room of this place. I know the Queen's schedule, where all the guards are stationed and when. It's going to work," She said, proud of herself.

"And why do I get the feeling that you're only going to help me if I give you something in return?" He said. He knew how these deals worked, how they started off. It was just a matter of time before she gave him her price.

"I'll help you escape-"

_Here we go, _he thought, wondering what a girl living in a castle could possibly want.

"If you take me with you," She finished, crossing her arms. He was taken back. It seemed so obvious now (because what else would she have wanted?) but he was still surprise. She had seemed to enjoy her power and her position. Why would she want to give it all up?

"You want to go with me? Go back to my ship and do what? Be a pirate?" The thought of her on the Jolly Roger was laughable.

"I can be useful," She defended, "I still have some of my mermaid abilities."

His ears perked up when she mentioned that, "You can do what now?"

Her heart started racing. Why did she say that? Yes, it was true but her most vaulable ability she had was magic. And she was not going to tell him that now. Very few people knew of her abilities and she wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want to risk someone trying to take advantage of her.

"Well...like my voice and my strength and I can withstand the most treacherous seas," She said. Although this was true, it was all minor compared to the magic she could do.

He took her in, recounting in his head all the ingredients the potion required. Perhaps she could be of some use.

"Alright fish, you got yourself a deal," He said, after thinking it over.

"Really?" She said, surprised. She had the biggest smile on her face and spun around, giggling. When she stopped spinning, she still couldn't contain her excitement, bouncing up and down. Killian really hoped she didn't do that often.

"Excited to leave the castle?" He said. She stopped, her expression now serious.

"I appreciate everything Regina has done for me but...it's time for me to leave," She explained to him.

"And you can't do that on your own?"

"I wouldn't know where to go. I don't know much about this land. But, I do know that I want to avoid kingdoms for a while. It would be nice to live somewhere else besides a castle."

"So you want to live in a pirate's ship instead?" He said, raising an eyebrow. She blushed, looking away.

"I'm up for an adventure," She responded, looking back at him.

"We'll see. So what does this plan of yours involve?" He asked, leaning back against the wall.

"You'll see. Soon," She said, heading towards the door.

"What? Ariel!" He said, standing up but not able to move.

"Yes Killian?" She said, her voice sweet and a mischievous smile on her face.

"What are you planning?" He asked, no hint of teasing or playfulness in his voice. This fish-girl-whatever she considered herself, was his key to escaping. He had no times for games.

"It's better if you don't know. Besides, it's too risky to tell you know. People may be listening," Her face grew soft and her voice serious, "Look, I know what I'm doing. If all goes well-which it should- we'll be out of her by tomorrow night. Just...trust me."

And with that she left. He stood there, processing what had just occurred. The last couples of days had been a whirlwind for him. He knew going into this there was a chance he could get caught, but he never though he would be entrusting his life to a former fish.


	4. I like to keep my issues strong

**Sorry this chapter took so long to get out! Finals kind of took over my life. Anyways big shout out to Silivia (Margo Alaska) for helping me with this chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it!**

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The next morning Ariel sat in Regina's bedroom, the two having breakfast. Keeping her composure was easy for Ariel- she had done it for years back home. But this was different. If she ever got caught back at home, she would be sentenced to her room and not be able to go outside the castle for a period of time (usually a week at the most). Regina was different; she could punish Ariel if she found out she was lying. Ariel knew what she was capable of and the possibilities of what she might to do to her scared her out of her mind.

"I have to say, I am surprise to hear this from you," Regina said as she stirred her tea.

"Well, I think it would be a suitable punishment for your...prisoner. Plus, I feel like killing him would be, well, rash," Ariel explained.

"Oh? How so?" She asked, walking towards her. She knew that tone; she had said something to suggest that she knew better than her, and now she had to prove it.

"I just think he could be of some value. You could always send him back if you ever want to obtain information on the Queen of Hearts," She explained, "Plus, I know that with a pirate, the worse punishment, worse than death, is spending the rest of your life landlocked. No ocean in sight for _miles_." She knew of those who would kill themselves if they were ever separated from the ocean. She didn't quite understand at first, but after being away from the sea for so long, she now could sense what they felt. At times she found herself aching for the sea, missing how it felt to freely swim in the ocean for as long as she desired, without having to worry about coming up for air. But she was thankful for her legs and was more than happy to keep them.

"I just hope you know that you must have full control of him at all times. You can't let your guard down, that's how you get taken advantaged of," Regina told her, looking into her eyes.

"I understand," She said, looking away, the attention making her uncomfortable, "But I was hoping...that you could do it. Instead of me."

Regina raised an eyebrow, "I think it would be best if you showed him what he was dealing with."

"Well, you know me, I like to be full of surprises. He'll know when the time is right." Regina nodded her head, agreeing with her. A huge relief came over her; the first part of her plan was a success- she prayed that the rest would have the same result.

She stared into the mirror as she brushed her hair. She had rehearsed in her head for what felt like a thousand times what was going to happened. Even though Regina didn't share much with her now, she had a good idea of what would happen. She just wanted to get it over with. She looked over her shoulder to see her bag was peaking out from her bed. She waved her hand, moving it out of sight.

Just then, the door to her bedroom swung open and Regina walked in, holding a small box in her hands. Two guards followed her, gripping his arms and pushing him forward. They pushed him down so he was on his knees, looking up to Ariel.

"What the hell is going on?" He whispered, angered. There was such rage in his eyes that it scared her. But she remained calm and simply smiled.

Regina walked over to her and handed her the box. Ariel opened it and couldn't help but gasp when she saw it. She had never seen a human heart before- only ones belonging to animals. It was beating rapidly and glowing bright red. She picked it up, the beating almost like a vibration in her hand. She looked back at Killian and grinned.

"Your mine now," She said and brought him to her, pushing his hair out of his face. He was snarling now, looking as if he was ready to attack her. But he couldn't move- she wouldn't let him. Ariel put the heart back into the box and set it down on her vanity. She looked at Regina, who nodded, proud of her.

"I see my work here is done. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to visit an old friend," And with that Regina walked out of the room, the guards quickly following her. It wasn't until the door closed that Ariel let out a deep sigh of relief. The hardest part was over now.

"You tricked me," He spat. She didn't respond; instead she walked over and opened the box. She picked up his heart and looked back at him, smiling.

"No I didn't," She said, walking over to him, "I tricked her."

Before he could say anything, she put his heart back into his chest. He stared her, surprise and confused. She simply smiled and then began to inspect the chains that were tying his hands together.

"Look here, I'm not doing anything until you tell me what the hell is going on," He demanded.

"The only way I could get you out of the dungeon and alone, was if I told her I wanted to make you my slave," She said, wondering how she was going to break the lock. She could use magic, but she didn't want to. Not in front of him.

"Your slave?"

"She refers to it as 'pet', but...you're not a dog. I know slave isn't much better, but you know what I mean," She walked over to her bed and pulled out her bag.

"So you had her rip my heart out?" He responded.

"I always planned on giving it back to you," She paused, "Can your hook also act as a pick lock?"

"Well yes, but the Queen," He stopped when she pulled it out of her bag, "...Has it. How did you get that?"

"I know where she keeps things. I also know when the guards are on duty and when they're off duty," She said as she started to pick the lock on the chains.

As much as he didn't want to, he had to admit that he was impressed by her. Perhaps she would be of more value than he thought. She finally got the chains unlock and helped him it getting them off. She then held out the hook for him, waiting for him to take it. He grabbed it and placed it back where it belonged.

"So, how do you plan on getting out of here without getting caught?" He asked.

"Well, I know of a passageway we can take. There are a few guards, but we can get past-" She saw him shaking his head, "I'm sorry, do you have a better idea?"

"Actually, I do," She rolled her eyes, waiting for him to explain. Instead, he pulled out a small vile that looked like it had yellow sparkling dust.

"Yellow dust. Of course, how could I forget?" She said. He couldn't help but smile at her sarcasm. The girl could certainly hold her own and he didn't come across that very often.

"Fairy dust," He corrected and smiled from her curious reaction. She walked over to get a closer look at the vile.

"How did you obtain this? Fairies don't just hand out their dust," She said.

"Some of the fairies of Neverland have a soft spot for me, can't blame 'em," He said and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"So what can it do for us?" She asked.

"Well, as scenic as it would be to go through the enchanted forest to get to the nearest port where my ship is currently docked, that an awful lot of time and frankly I don't have very much of that," He explained.

"So the fairy dust is going to help us get to the port?"

"Good, you're catching on. That's going to be very helpful later," He said, looking at the vile. Before she could say anything, there was a knock on her door. She immediately froze and Killian looked to her for guidance; this was her world, not his.

"Get on my bed!" She whispered.

"It's not that I object but I don't think now's the best time to-"

"Not _that_," She hissed, "Get on my bed so that way whoever is at the door won't be suspicious."

"Oh," He said, sounding almost disappointed. The knock became louder and she walked towards the door. She opened it enough so she could poke her head out and only her head could be seen.

"Graham!" She exclaimed and walked into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

"What brings you here?" She asked, happy to be able to see him before she left. She was going to miss him so much.

"I'm here to give you something," He said, pulling something out of his pocket. He placed it in her hand. Upon closer look, she realized it was a necklace. It was a simple gold chain with a piece of sapphire. The dark blue gemstone reminded her of the sea.

"I don't understand-I mean it's beautiful, but why are you giving this to me?" She asked as she put on the necklace.

"It's an enchanted necklace. Whoever wears this is given the power to breathe underwater." She looked up from the necklace, her eyes wide.

"I can...I could...Thank you!" She threw her arms around him, "But why are you giving this to me now?"

"I'd figured you would need it for your journey," He said and she stepped back.

"How did you-"

"I was right outside of the room. You also still need to work on your whispering," He teased and she laughed, realizing how obvious it was and how lucky she was it was him standing outside that door.

"Come with us!" She exclaimed. He smiled, but shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't," He started.

"Yes you can! She won't be able to find us, she can't hurt us-"

"She'll kill me."

"Not if she can't find you." He shook his head.

"Ariel, trust me, if I could escape, I would have done so a long time ago," He told her.

"So why can't you?" She asked, concerned.

"Ariel...she has my heart." The words sunk her heart. She hated to think that he was constantly at the mercy of Regina, not being able to make his own decisions, his life ending at any moment.

"Let me help you," She said. He shook his head. After being with the Queen for a year, her edges had roughen. But she had not lost her kindness.

"There has to be something I can do," She begged.

"There is," He looked right into her green eyes, "Leave this place. Don't get involved with her and what she's doing. Get as far away as you can from this kingdom, don't ever come back."

She opened her mouth, ready to list off what she could to help. But then she thought about his words. _Don't get involved with her and what she's doing. _She didn't agree with Regina's desire for revenge. There had been many moments where Ariel had tried to subtly talk Regina out of it, tried to get her to focus on something else- something that didn't involve destroying another person. Instead, her desire only grew stronger. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that perhaps Graham was right. Getting involved could be dangerous, and what could she do to stop it? But the kingdom...

"So we should just let her destroy this whole kingdom and everyone in it?" She replied.

"Ariel, it's not your kingdom, it's not your home. Don't worry about it. If someone decides to be the hero and stop her, they will," He told her.

_I could be that hero, _she thought-even though she knew that was a lie. Regina's powers were far greater than hers. Plus what did she know about being a hero? Heroes were brave, they were fearless, they were leaders. Ariel wasn't any of those things. Maybe it was best if she just stayed in the background.

"Fine, I'll leave," She told him. If you looked into his eyes you could see he was sad to see her go. But nevertheless there was a small smile on his face.

"Be safe," He told her. She nodded her head, clutching at the necklace. She threw her arms around him, blinking back tears. He was like the brother she never had- only unlike her actual family he actually supported her.

"Be safe," He repeated as he hugged her back.

"I will," She promised and stepped back. She then remembered that Killian was still in her bedroom. What if he had left without her? Would he do that? He was a pirate. But they had made a deal.

"You should get going," He said and before she could say anything else he turned and began to walk away. She took a deep breath to compose herself and put the necklace in her pocket. She would return to her bedroom to find him leaning against her bed, his arms and an eyebrow raised.

"Do you normally leave the room and disappear for about ten minutes because these are the king of things I need to know before I let you on my ship," He told her, clearly impatient.

"Only when I'm trying to not raise suspicion so our plan won't be thwarted," She said, crossing her arms, "Now where were we? Oh right! The yellow dust!"

"First of all, it's pixie dust," He corrected and she shrugged.

"How does it work?" She asked, extremely curious. Fairies made very rare appearances in this land- she had only heard of them, never had seen one in person. She knew their magic was a bit different- but she didn't know how.

"Simple thing really," He explained, "You dust yourself with this and it'll take you to where you want to go."

"The port?" She asked and he nodded his head. He open his arms out, as if waiting for a hug.

"Hold onto me."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, if you really don't want to come to Neverland you don't have. The dust will take you to wherever you truly want to go," He said. She grabbed his good hand. The truth was, she didn't know where she wanted to go. Who knows where it could take her.

He rolled his eyes and broke free from her grip. Before she could say anything, he pushed her to his chest and wrapped his left arm around her-carefully as she could have easily gotten hurt by the hook.

"In case you've forgotten, I don't exactly have two hands," He muttered before taking off the cap of the vile with his teeth.

"Sorry," She muttered and he just rolled his eyes. She noticed that he did that a lot.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, silently noticing that he smelled like sea salt. It had been so long since she had been around that scent. She closed her eyes and tighten her grip as she felt what must have been the pixie dust. The touch was light and it was warm. She opened her eyes just in time to see the gold dust floating around. It looked like she was surrounded by stars. Then everything turned black and it felt like she was being pulled apart. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound could come out. She closed her eyes immediately and hoped this would end soon.

In reality it only lasted a minute, but it felt much longer than that for her. When they stopped moving, Ariel let go and grabbed on to her knees, heaving.

"It's no big deal if you have to throw up. Natural reaction for a first timer," Killian said, dusting off the remaining pixie dust, appearing unaffected.

"I take it you've done this before?" She said, catching her breath.

"Comes in handy when you need to escape," He told her, looking around.

"And you get use to the whole feeling like your body is being split in half?" She asked, standing up as the feeling of nausea went away.

He was about to respond when something caught his eye and he smiled. She walked over to where he was standing and smiled. The ship was just as magnificent as she remembered years ago.

He looked to her to find she had that look of amazement he had seen when he first met her. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open. She was looking at all angles of the ship, as if she was trying to remember every single detail.

A very loud "Captain!" broke their thoughts and on the ship appeared a man who had on a red hat.

"Smee!" Killian yelled back, happy to see who had quickly become his right-hand man. As they climbed aboard the ship, he was greeted by who Ariel assumed was his crew.

"You're back!" Smee said, and noticed Ariel for the first time, "...And brought back a girl."

"It's not like that," Killian muttered.

"Then what it is?" Smee asked. There hadn't been a women on the ship in a long, long time. And Killian had made sure of that.

"Lads, this is Ariel. She'll be helping me with getting my revenge on a certain crocodile," He announced to his crew, "And she'll be helping us with that _only_."

Ariel found herself uncomfortable with being the center of attention. She focused on Killian, who was now walking to the wheel of the ship.

"Do you know why it's so hard to catch Captain Hook?" He asked her, grinning.

"No, but I have a feeling you're about to tell me," She said, a small smile appearing on her face. He only smiled as he spun the wheel all the way to the left. The ship began to move, but they weren't on water. It was only until she looked out to realize what was happening.

It was _flying. _

"Pixie dust?" She asked as he steered the ship. He smiled.

"You better get use to it fish."

Neverland. She was excited to be going to such a place. A place with fairies and pirates. A place with freedom and adventure. At first she didn't know where to go, she just knew she needed to get out. But now, she knew. Neverland was where she needed to go.


End file.
